


You Won't Know 'Til You Get There

by Astrodynamicist



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 08:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1219807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrodynamicist/pseuds/Astrodynamicist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Tendo can see the book is one of those 'What to Expect' things. After a little while, Hermann gestures vaguely with the book and asks, 'Did you read any of these while Alison was pregnant?'</p><p>Tendo shrugs. 'Yeah.'</p><p>'Did they… did they help?'</p><p>Tendo snorts. 'No.'</p><p>His fork is halfway to his mouth when he looks up and sees Hermann’s horrified expression."</p><p>Tendo and Hermann talk childcare books over lunch, and Tendo reassures his friend about being a father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Won't Know 'Til You Get There

When Tendo cruises through the Shatterdome cafeteria looking for a place to sit for lunch, he spots Hermann sitting all by himself. The man has his nose in a book and is shoveling meatloaf into his mouth with grim, if distracted, determination.

After Tendo grabs his lunch, he deposits himself across from his friend. “Hey, Dr. G, how’s it hangin’?”

Hermann jerks out of his reverie. “Oh, hello Tendo. I’m quite well, thank you. Yourself?”

“Good, good.” Close up now, Tendo can see the book is one of those “What to Expect” things. “How’s Vanessa?”

“She’s doing all right….”

“Everything okay with the baby?”

“Yes! As far as we can tell, anyway....” Hermann kinda taps the book against the tabletop and frowns. Tendo waits, and eats. Hermann will say what’s bothering him in his own time. And indeed, after a little while, Hermann gestures vaguely with the book and asks, “Did you read any of these while Alison was pregnant?”

Tendo shrugs. “Yeah.”

“Did they… did they help?”

Tendo snorts. “No.”

His fork is halfway to his mouth when he looks up and sees Hermann’s horrified expression - the man looks like a cartoon character who’s just realized he’s run off the cliff and is about to start falling. Tendo frantically tries to backpedal. “Whoa, whoa, don’t panic. They help _some_. Just… you never really know what it’ll be like until you get there, you know?”

Hermann nods miserably. He picks at his food some, then gives up. He dumps the book down, too. He pinches the bridge of his nose, starts rubbing his face. But before Tendo can offer any other comfort or advice, Hermann bursts out, “I have no idea how to be a father! I don’t know _anything_ about how to care for children. And if the books can’t help, _how am I supposed to do this?_ ”

Tendo leans in. “The same way everybody else does - you cry a lot, sleep too little, and think you’re doing everything wrong until it’s been a few months and you realize you haven’t killed the baby yet.” He smiles gently at Hermann. “You’ll be fine.”

Slowly, Hermann cracks the tiniest smile. “You really think so?”

“Hey, if I can manage fatherhood.”

Hermann laughs. “You are not nearly so bad off as you think.”

“And neither are you.”

Hermann smiles a crooked, bashful smile. “...Thank you.”

“Any time, brother!”

They spend the rest of their lunch trading name ideas for silly baby stories. Hermann gradually relaxes, and Tendo thinks that maybe, just maybe, his friend’s baby anxiety will quiet down for the day.

 

 


End file.
